The present invention relates to pipe clamping tools. More specifically, the present invention relates to a tool for crimp fitting of metal to plastic pipe.
There are tools available for crimping a variety of materials for a number of applications. These tools include devices for pipe clamping or crimping such as taught in the patents to Batcheller 4,286,372 and Burli 4,735,442.
Also, devices are known for the crimping and connecting of wire joints, such as those taught in Filia 3,523,351; Blagojevich 3,481,373; Matthysse 2,994,238; Filia 3,277,751 and Filia 3,487,524 which teach various mechanisms for translating a handle closing into a clamping force.
These known devices are often significantly bulky and difficult to use in a confined area or with a single hand operation. These tools often have extended handles utilized to achieve the necessary clamping or crimping force.
Users of these devices encounter difficulties due to the heavy, bulky, and often clumsy nature of these devices which are often inefficient, and difficult or impossible to use in specific applications.
One particular operation for which it is important to have a convenient, lightweight and easy to use crimping tool is in the crimping of copper bands onto plastic pipe. In the crimping operation, the plastic pipe slides onto copper or brass fittings (in some applications plastic fittings are used), and is crimped in place using copper rings which squeeze the pipe around each fitting connection. Often pipe joints are located in constricted access locations. It is also difficult to align a long-handled tool on the crimp ring. A clumsy operation is more likely to result in misalignment of the ring or movement of the ring from the proper position. Misalignment or improper location can result in a leaky fitting. Therefore, it is advantageous to eliminate long handles and handles which require a wide range of movement to open the crimping jaws and to crimp a fitting, as they can prove a detriment to the fitting of the pipe clamping devices in constricted locations. Also it is often difficult to utilize a two hand tool in constricted locations.
Currently, pipe connections are made by mechanical seal using copper rings which are crimped by tools. At least two copper crimp rings are needed for every fitting connection.
The crimping tools which are now predominantly used are bolt cutters having jaws modified for crimping instead of cutting. The devices have elongated handles which must be opened up to a span of over two feet from tip to tip to allow the jaw to fit over a crimp ring. The prior art devices also require two handed operation with hands far apart and elbows out, a difficulty when working on ladders or in tight spaces. The tools require significant operator applied force in spite of long mechanical advantage. These force and orientation requirements often cause difficulty in keeping tool properly aligned on a crimp ring. Also the crimping jaws themselves must be opened to a wide span which can cause difficulties in constrained areas.